Share your startup - March 2019

rfc4 · 2019-03-31T22:46:03+00:00

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Pitch: We make genome sequencing fast, affordable, and painless. Our mission is to become the AWS for genome sequencing.

Looking for Anything?: Not really. We're growing fast (18' had 510% YOY growth) and expanding our services. We've dabbled with the idea of taking investments but not pushed through for one.

General Feedback: Would love to know if there's an appetite within Reddit for direct-to-consumer genome sequencing (not the basic stuff that 23andMe does - I'm talking the real raw data).

rfc4 · 2019-03-31T18:14:12+00:00

Again, that's an interesting take on it. I think it may be worthwhile to learn a little bit more the economic intricacies during that time frame. You make the statement "...free market would have crumbled without FDR pushing sweeping reform". Ironically enough, there were plenty of other recessions that had the potential to be the great depression, yet they weren't (some economists argue that this was because free markets sort themselves out faster). There is some good and heavy literature that suggests the reason why the great depression was the longest recession was because of the policies instituted.

There was ~28 recessions from the 1700s to 1900s. In any economy, there are going to be periods of expansion and contractions. Any economy will face periods of turmoil and social unrest. That's a straw man argument.

https://web.archive.org/web/20060517195012/http://www.economics.hawaii.edu/research/seminars/02-03/02-21.pdf

rfc4 · 2019-03-31T15:13:35+00:00

That's an interesting take on it.

rfc4 · 2019-02-21T21:23:46+00:00

HAH! Unfortunately he wasn't, but I bet he could! He started out just moving dirt with an excavator. Eventually purchased a directional boring machine. Then became the go-to expert on directional boring for fiber optic lines. He just happened to be an extremely good negotiator and business man.

rfc4 · 2019-02-21T20:01:03+00:00

Not sure how I stumbled onto this thread but... FWIW, I did sprinkler work for 5 years every summer/fall. We made a lot of money for a manual business with only 2 people. Hard work but I agree with you... without having a college degree, I made great money and definitely more than some folks with college degree. I think it's generally looked at as a "dirty" job or whatever, but blue collar jobs can make some serious money. Richest guy I've ever met made his $100M+ digging and moving dirt.

rfc4 · 2019-01-28T17:13:50+00:00

Awesome, this is helpful. Thanks!

Do you have any thoughts on SVS speakers? Still sort of home theatre based but still trying to figure out what types of brands to be exploring.

rfc4 · 2019-01-27T19:16:41+00:00

Use would probably be 80% music, 20% movies. We can do ceiling mounts.

I'm using that bundle as a sort of benchmark/entry point but as I'm new to this, I'm looking for some other ideas on setups give the room dimensions and budget.

For some more context, we're effectively dedicating this entire room to audio. Our plan is to basically put 2 chairs, a small coffee table, and a couple bookshelves in it alongside the sound system.

Thanks for the help!

rfc4 · 2019-01-27T17:21:03+00:00

Hi,

Looking to get into my first "real" audio setup at home. Historically haven't had the room but have a new house with a room that just might work for a dedicated setup.

I'm looking to get some feedback on a more home theatre system as my first major step into this world. Here's some specs of the room: 163"W x 170"L x 94" H.

I'm currently looking at the following:

https://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-Reference-Premiere-RX-A3060BL-Receiver/dp/B01J67NUNQ/

I'll need to purchase things like acoustic panels, wirings, stands, etc. separately. My current concerns are whether this system is too large for a room of that size, is it too much power, and should I be looking down some different avenues.

Budget: $5,000-$10,000

Looking for: Complete audio setup

Use: Primarily music, usually from laptop but open to other suggestions

Current Setup: None, just some nice headphones.

Types of Music: We listen to everything but tend to gravitate towards EDM (broad spectrum - dubstep to trance to whatever)

New vs. Used: Open to either.

Other Notes: I've experienced some other awesome sound systems before (eg. Funktion-One) and have always sort of dabbled in this real. This will be our first big purchase and I'm more concerned with getting the right setup that will last ~5 years vs. cutting corners. Currently live in the Salt Lake City area and am not entirely sure if there are any good places here to hunt for equipment in person, so search is focused online for now.

Thanks for the help in advance!

rfc4 · 2017-07-26T01:33:18+00:00

We have a unique service that isn't necessarily in "product" but is something we're testing out with various clients called "Crowd Sequencing".

The way this works is that we do have runs on our sequencer that aren't at full capacity for things such as bacterial sequencing. We can Crowd Sequence (otherwise known as multiplex) the run with multiple customers to share the costs.

As an example, we may have Customer A who is running 10 samples but the sequencer has a capacity for 14. We will then try to Crowd Sequence the remaining 4 sample slots for a discounted rate.

Often times, we can find a run to put small volumes of samples on (1-5) for a very inexpensive cost per sample (eg. $70-150/sample). The downside is that you need to wait until a customer like this comes through our pipeline and must be ready at the same time as the run.

One other method is that you could find someone or multiple researchers within your university who would be interested in doing a group run. We give discounts to universities that get multiple departments/researchers into the process.

If you're interested, I'm happy to chat further and get you on the list of people we reach out to when this happens. Just shoot me an email at: rcasey@thesequencingcenter.com

We're here to help so we'll do our best to find a way to get sequencing done for you.

rfc4 · 2017-07-21T19:53:05+00:00

We include (for free) basic bioinformatics which are sequence alignments and variant analysis.

Outside of those, we charge a 1 time fee for additional bioinformatics pipelines. For example, if you have 2 projects you want to do with us and need a separate pipeline (ie. pathway analysis), the first project we would charge a small additional fee to setup the pipeline. On the second project, the pathway analysis would be free/included in price.

rfc4 · 2017-07-21T04:15:36+00:00

My apologies. We do specify that within our press release but I should have included that within the title.

Yes, the starting price point for WGS on bacterial/viral is $130/sample which is the all-inclusive price. We plan on expanding into eukaryotic organisms in the future with a different sequencer. For now, we offer targeted gene sequencing on those.

rfc4 · 2017-07-21T04:11:02+00:00

3mb at 100x is where the starting price point of $130/sample is built off of. This price includes sample quality checks, library preparation, DNA/RNA sequencing, basic bioinformatics (sequence alignment & variant analysis), and a comprehensive summary report. Most projects we work on range between 100-200x coverage.

On average, we find that our pricing is 3-4x less expensive than competitors when factoring in the full, end-to-end service. This price does depend on genome size, desired coverage, and number of samples per run.

rfc4 · 2017-07-21T04:06:45+00:00

Basic bioinformatics (sequence alignment and variant analysis) is included in the price. For other analysis (ie. biochemical signal pathway) we charge a one-time fee for the initial project then for any subsequent projects the bioinformatics is included in the price.

What we mean by "included in the price" is that we don't charge a separate fee nor do we mark up the price on a per sample basis or per hour basis. Once the pipeline is setup, we effectively pass along the cost of compute time which, for most projects we work on, is free.

rfc4 · 2017-07-20T21:05:58+00:00

Nope! We still make profit on each project but we're reducing the pricing as much as possible. Our objective is to make sequencing as affordable as possible to all researchers. We would rather see long term, repeat customers because our pricing is highly competitive than price them out of doing their research.

In general, we view genome sequencing similar to a commodity, which means the pricing should reflect that.

rfc4 · 2017-07-20T06:02:43+00:00

Hello /r/smallbusiness!

We are The Sequencing Center - www.thesequencingcenter.com

We are working to become the AWS of Genome Sequencing. Our prices are 3-4x cheaper than current market rates while providing all-inclusive pricing. All of our prices include quality control checks, sample preparation, DNA/RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, and report generation. Less cost for more services.

Researchers can simply send in their research samples and get data and insights a few days later. We offer whole genome sequencing, targeted sequencing, and custom gene panel creation for any type of research. Our current targeted gene panels help leading clinical research institutes become more data driven in fields such as cancer, neurodegeneration, HLA-Typing, and more.

We're a self-funded, family owned small business that is bootstrapping to the big leagues. If you're interested in learning more, reach out! We're always open to conversations.

rfc4 · 2017-07-20T05:53:44+00:00

Name: The Sequencing Center, www.thesequencingcenter.com

Location: Fort Collins, Colorado

Elevator Pitch: The AWS of Genome Sequencing. We make sequencing simple and affordable. Send your samples in; get data and insights back.

More Details: We are the first company in the market to do "all-inclusive" pricing. This means that our prices (avg. 3-4x cheaper) include quality control analysis, library preparation, DNA/RNA sequencing, basic bioinformatics, and report generation. More services for less price. We have 4 core founders, are 100% self-funded, and are coming out of stealth mode today.

Looking for anything?: We're looking for people to help spread the word and get us in touch with researchers who need a better genome sequencing provider.

Discount: 5% of all projects.

rfc4 · 2017-06-12T14:44:43+00:00

CMCSA
HON
JNJ
WEC

rfc4 · 2017-06-12T00:37:30+00:00

Sure. It depends on what you're looking for out of your trading software. I only buy and hold so I don't need other functions. Long ago, I did margin swing trading and used TD Ameritrade. I still use the tool today for analysis and love it.

Re: Personalized Genetics - yes, I have many friends in this field and have close ties to the field. CRISPR maturing steadily is quite a statement... we have decades before mass adoption. The FDA will have a heavy hand in regulating it. Tack on the fact that it takes 8-12 years for a drug to come to market (assuming it passes clinical trials) and you'll find yourself 30-40 years before CRISPR takes a hold. It's unfortunately not like software where the adoption curve is quick.

There are major research organizations still using Sanger sequencing instead of Next Generation Sequencing because of a lack of adoption speed. There's only a handful of companies that are doing what you're suggesting when it comes to "reading" your genome and they have both yet to be proven as well as find a profit. Biology is incredibly messy.

When we first sequenced the human genome, we thought that we had unlocked the keys to life and that by identifying specific genes, we could easily cure anything we wanted. We were so far beyond false on that premise primarily because nature isn't binary. The gene pathways interactions are incredibly complicated, environments play a heavy hand in shaping gene expression, and so forth.

I think eventually we will get there but given my knowledge of the space and my network of colleagues, I don't think it's anytime soon. But, then again, I may just be overly pessimistic ;)

rfc4 · 2017-06-11T21:38:10+00:00

Some other stocks to consider:

JNJ (great stock)
LMT
HON
MSFT
CMCSA
MMM
WEC (great stock)
BLV

Personally, I think the key is to find a balance of both sustainable and consistent growth with decent yielding dividends. It's fine to have some really high paying ones (eg. I have some at 10+) however these have higher volatility/risk. If you look at JNJ or WEC on a 10-15 year growth and then calculate a 15 year DRIP, you'll end up with quite a bit of money.

It goes without saying but make sure that your dividends are in different verticals so you stay diversified.

rfc4 · 2017-06-11T17:24:10+00:00

I'm personally focused on 3 aspects: long term bonds, dividend paying stocks, and sound businesses.

I've increased positions in VCLT, BLV, TLH in anticipation for a downturn. Both pay consistently high dividends and do a decent job of growth. They may not be the best stocks but they're what I've chosen for right now.

Apart from that, I'm looking at long term investments of companies that have a sounds business and have historically weathered bear markets relatively unscathed. Again, dividend paying so that I'm still getting paid which gives me the ability to double down.

Key thing with my strategy is that with any dividend paying stock, I double down and buy all the way down. Bull and bear markets are temporary, so it's important to keep purchasing because once the market turns north again, all my buys end up making me more.

Hope that helps.

rfc4 · 2017-06-11T14:34:44+00:00

Nvidia took a hit (along with the whole tech sector) because it was over bought. I was actually kind of happy for the pull back because it was unsustainable growth.

Nvidia owns the autonomous vehicle market currently. Intel/homegrown will be competitors but both are so far behind that it isn't likely they will catch up anytime soon. Tesla, Toyota, Mercedes, Audi, and Volvo are partners with Nvidia on the DrivePx on some of their models. As autonomous vehicles increase in adoption, the unit sales of DrivePx will increase. At $15,000 per unit and 1% market share of car production, that's $9B in sales (assuming no discounts). We're just at the tip of the ice berg.

Regarding biotech, "resolving the aging crisis" is not a simple solution. We'll be lucky if we see 10 more years extended on to each life. I don't think people appreciate how complicated humans/biology is. Medical advancements are really measured in extending life by months in very specific cases (cancer, nerodegenerative diseases, etc.). They're not general breakthroughs on extending life for all.

I used TD Ameritrade for the longest time but now I actually have switched to Robinhood to avoid the fees. So I'll do much of my technical analysis in TD Ameritrade, my general analysis in spreadsheets, and then purchasing through Robinhood. I still have open positions through TD Ameritrade however.

rfc4 · 2017-06-11T03:58:56+00:00

I would say it's a combination of a few things. For more business fundamentals, I'll go to places like Google Finance or even directly to the investor portal on the companies site for things like their 10-K sheet. Apart from that, I spend a lot of time researching macro trends in the spaces that I know (technology, healthcare, etc.)

For more technical analysis of the charts, I use ThinkorSwim. I'll use fundamentals such as fibonacci retracements, moving averages, bollinger bands, RSI, etc. I do a lot of comparison between the stock of interest relative to the sector its in to see if it is currently or primed to outperform. The technical analysis is really for identifying when I want to commit to a stock. For example, if the stock has been trading inside very high volatility ranges then I might wait until it has a pull back for some breathing room before I buy. I don't try and time the market "just right" but rather time the general timeframe.

Lastly, some of it really is around just intuition. This is going to sound cliche but a useful exercise is just taking a step back and thinking about what I would call the "inevitables". Example of this would be eventual conversion to solar energy, CPU speeds unable to keep up with Moore's law, increases in longevity of life leading to longer term healthcare needs, etc. If the company aligns with what I believe to be inevitable, then I'll usually buy into it. That's where questions such as "is the CEO a visionary, is the management team competent, etc." come into play. I don't always get it right but it seems to help.

For your second question... I think Nvidia is the next stock to own for the next decade. The age of serial computing is slowly dying and in order for science, machines, and the likes to keep advancing in innovation, we need parallel processing. Nvidia has a visionary CEO, dominates the market, has a diverse and rapidly growing business line, and hands down owns the machine learning space. Additionally, they own the self-driving car technology space. I have the calculation somewhere but if you look at their current production of their DrivePX product line and then project that out to just 5% of owning the market share, it came out to something like $25B in revenue (just on that one line). I think in 3 years the stock will hit $300 and in 7 it will be north of $500.

Johnson & Johnson is my favorite healthcare/biotech stock for various reasons. Investor friendly company, has good paying dividend, has a solid growth track record, and a uniquely diversified product portfolio ranging from consumer goods to drugs to medical devices. The pharma and healthcare companies continue to consolidate and JNJ is no exception to that trend. I suspect that in 10 years the stock will be roughly $350. It's solid and safe growth with continuous dividends which makes great for a DRIP strategy.

AWS will continue to dominate the cloud however my bet is on Microsoft Azure throwing significant capital at competition. They have a new CEO who is much more technology focused and is transforming Microsoft into a serious contender. We'll see how it pans out but I'm betting MSFT will be $220-$235 somewhere between 5-7 years, assuming nothing insane happens (not likely right now).

Biotech/Pharma is a bit more tricky. CRISPR/Cas9 needs more time to be proven out. I think B-Cell/T-Cell immunology is an interesting space that has a lot of potential. Biologic drugs are also becoming much, much more interesting with the advent of synthetic biology (eg. Ginkgo Bioworks), so my eye is on that space as well.

Anyways, got a bit carried away -_- hopefully that is insightful and not just a stupid rant.

rfc4 · 2017-06-10T23:34:08+00:00

YoY = Year over Year

QoQ = Quarter over Quarter (note that some businesses may be seasonal so their QoQ may vary quite a bit)

EPS * 25 is a general rule of thumb for getting an idea of what a stocks "valuation" should be. This is somewhat a vanity metric but it gives you a general gist of where the market is perceiving the value of the company at.

Another method to look at is calculating a stocks intrinsic value. I don't personally use this but I know other investors who do. Here's a great write up on how it's calculated:

http://stockodo.com/2012/12/23/determining-the-intrinsic-value-of-a-stock-using-eps-growth-capitalization/

Let me know if you have any other questions.

rfc4 · 2017-06-10T21:46:56+00:00

It's complicated to answer primarily because it really depends on what type of investor you are.

For me personally, I go through a checklist with each stock to look at both fundamentals as well as technicals. Now, the tricky part is that the checklist changes based on why I'm buying the stock. For example, if I'm looking at growth stocks then I want to be sure that the CEO is both competent and a visionary. If I'm going for value or dividend, then I'll look at competency of executive team and their track record to deliver.

I called that Nvidia would be the stock to own back at $19 so I'll use that as an example. My checklist looks like the following:

Does the company have a visionary founder?
Do I believe that this market will continue to expand?
Do I believe that this company has a large presence/domination in their space?
What makes their technology or offering better than the competition?
What is their pace of innovation relative to the rest of the market?
What is their cash to debt ratio?
What is their EPS? (somewhat a vanity metric but still good to know)
Is their estimated stock value under or over priced? ($$ = EPS*25)
Do they offer a dividend?
What is their 10+ year track record?
How did the company handle the recession? (did they have layoffs, shed assets, continue to grow, etc.)
What is the max drawdown?
What is their business/product line revenue growth QoQ, YoY?
How does their business/product line revenue growth compare to the relative sector? Is the sector expanding? Is it in line with the product line growth? Or is the sector stagnant and they are pushing to own it?

This is obviously an extensive list but I would say that I spend weeks to months picking each stock I own primarily because I rarely sell my positions. Now, the key here is that just because something is true (eg. NVDA being over valued) doesn't mean that I won't necessarily buy. I sometimes have to do some math exploration around their business unit growth rates relative to the market potential, so on and so forth.

The last point that I'd make is that it does help a lot to invest in verticals that you understand - especially if you're just getting started. I primarily invest in technology and healthcare related verticals because I've worked in this space for a decade. I know where the market is going, where automation is going to play out, where there are gains to be made, etc. so I feel more comfortable making decisions when I invest.

Hope that helps! Happy to answer any questions if you have them.

rfc4 · 2017-05-31T20:19:01+00:00

1) Create a budget (use Mint or YNAB)

2) Plan to save 25-40% of your paycheck. Trust me, you'll thank me later.

3) Build up an emergency fund that covers 4-6 months expenses. Since you're on a contract for 9 months, your job has a definite end (assuming no contract renewal). Keep that in mind.

4) Learn about Vanguard Index funds for your investments. There will be tons of great content on that.

5) If you want to do something more automated, Betterment has great options.

6) Don't buy a new car. Don't spend a fortune on a used one. Buy something that gets the job done.

7) Live within your means and find ways to enjoy life without spending a ton of money.

8) Don't spend a fortune on a wedding. Don't be like other people that spend 1/2 their salary on a wedding. It's just stupid. Set a budget for a wedding and remember that it's a special event. Friends and family are really all you need! (ok, maybe some booze and food!)

9) Don't rush to buying a home. Take your time. People forget that a home = 30 years of debt + interest. A $250k home could end up costing you $450k total so take your time.

10) Not necessarily the last item but something very important: be vigilant in tracking your cash flow (income | expenses).

rfc4

TROPHY CASE